Freeze warning for Tuesday night into Wednesday in Solano, Napa, Bay Area

Break out the parka and the gloves -- it's about to get very cold around here, a National Weather Service spokesman said Monday.

The first arctic air mass of the 2013-14 winter season is expected to hit overnight tonight into Wednesday and settle in to chill the air at least through the weekend, National Weather Service forecaster Bob Benjamin said. Residents can expect temperatures to plummet into the 20s and 30s everywhere except right by the water, he said. The mercury is expected to drop 10 to 15 degrees between Monday and Wednesday, he said.

"We're expecting a drop in temperatures starting tomorrow and even more notably on Wednesday," Benjamin said. "Expect to wake up (Tuesday) morning to temperatures in the upper 30s to low 40s, with highs in the low-to-mid 50s. Then Wednesday, we'll reach the lower to mid 30s in the morning, in much of the Bay Area, with highs near 50, and it will be like that over for the rest of the week."

It will be warmest -- in the lower to mid-30s -- right near the waterfront, but further inland in Vallejo, American Canyon and the rest of Solano and Napa counties, temperatures will start "well below the freezing mark" -- dropping into the 20s -- "in the mornings for the rest of the week," he said. The skies may also get increasingly cloudy, with a passing shower possible this weekend, Benjamin said.

"We're going to get very cold," he said. "A freeze watch is in effect for most of the bay and Monterey Bay area, for much of the week," he said.

If there's any shower activity, roadways could become more hazardous with possible ice patches, he said. Forecasters believe a warmer Pacific air mass may move in next week, pushing the arctic air further east.

Cold weather tips:

* Bring moveable sensitive plants inside, or cover them.

* Wrap exposed water pipes with towels or blankets, to prevent their bursting.

* Bring pets inside or otherwise protect them.

Source: Bob Benjamin, forecaster with the National Weather Service

Contact staff writer Rachel Raskin-Zrihen at (707) 553-6824 or rzrihen@timesheraldonline.com. Follow her on Twitter at Rachelvth.